The series follows the lives of Ryan Atwood, a troubled youth from a broken home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, His surrogate brother Seth, a socially awkward teenager, deal with life as outsiders in the high-class world of Newport Beach. Ryan and Seth spend much time navigating their relationships with girl-next-door Marissa Cooper.
Most of all, The O.C. presents a father figure who is decent, smart and generous. Gallagher embodies those qualities with ease -- he's the kind of father that television sorely needs.
The series reflects the youth and intelligence of its writer and succeeds by quickly getting viewers past what would seem an insurmountable obstacle -- caring about what happens to rich white kids in Orange County.
